Trump stormed out of the G7 summit in Canada on Monday, ditching the final sessions and sending Air Force One back to Washington without explaining a thing to the press.
That vacuum didn’t last long though—Emmanuel Macron, the French President, quickly stepped in to say Trump left because he was working on a possible ceasefire between Israel and Iran. That blew up within the hour.
Trump went straight to Truth Social and blasted Macron for “getting it wrong,” calling him “publicity seeking” and insisting the reason for his departure had “nothing to do with a Cease Fire.”
“He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire,” Trump posted. “Much bigger than that.” He followed that with: “Whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong. Stay Tuned!”
The US President flat-out denied any link to Middle East diplomacy, though the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had just told reporters Trump was cutting the summit short due to “what’s going on in the Middle East.”
That contradiction left the rest of the G7 scrambling to figure out what exactly Trump was doing.
Trump issues Tehran warning while G7 softens stance on Israel
As G7 leaders tried to craft a unified message on the Iran-Israel conflict, Trump had already moved on. Right after leaving, he posted again on Truth Social, telling Iranian civilians to “immediately evacuate Tehran,” then added, “Iran should have signed the deal I told them to sign.”
There was no explanation of what deal he meant or whether any talks were happening at all.
Meanwhile, the official G7 joint statement looked like a game of diplomatic dodgeball. It called for de-escalation in the Middle East, mentioned the “Iranian crisis,” and tossed in a line about a ceasefire in Gaza, but didn’t push either side too hard.
Israel’s right to defend itself stayed in the final draft, and any suggestion of restraint from both sides—originally included—was quietly stripped after US objections.
By Tuesday, Israel’s military announced it had taken out Ali Shadmani, who it said was Iran’s wartime chief of staff and top military leader. The operation was seen as a clear sign that de-escalation wasn’t anywhere on Israel’s agenda. That reality left G7’s vague call for calm looking even weaker.
China, which wasn’t part of the G7 but closely watching, criticized Israel’s military response. Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China had already contacted leaders in Tehran and Jerusalem and was “ready to play a constructive role” in bringing down tensions.
While the G7 flailed, China was out trying to position itself as the adult in the room.
Trade, tariffs, and Russia fuel more clashes
Trump didn’t just blow up the Middle East narrative. He also hijacked the summit’s main economic agenda. He used the event to finalize a trade deal with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, making the UK the first G7 country to ink a deal with the US under Trump’s new terms. The announcement came on Monday before Trump left, and both sides called it a done deal.
But not everyone walked away with a signed agreement. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told the press they couldn’t finalize a deal just yet but were committed to continuing the talks.
Trump had already imposed tariffs on all G7 nations since taking office, later pausing most for 90 days to allow time for negotiation. Those tariffs hung over every single bilateral meeting.
The summit had expanded invitees this year, bringing in leaders from India, Brazil, South Korea, Mexico, Ukraine, Australia, and the European Union. But none of the side talks with those countries changed the spotlight that Trump kept pulling back to himself.
Then came the Russia drama. Speaking beside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday, Trump called the 2014 move to eject Russia from what was then the G8 a “big mistake.” He told reporters, “I believe Russia wouldn’t have invaded Ukraine in 2022 if they hadn’t been kicked out.”
That flat comment set off alarm bells in allied capitals, especially from those who’ve been urging Trump to slap tougher sanctions on Moscow. He waved off those calls too.
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